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Good morning, readers.

Andrew Scheer dominated headlines on Tuesday.

With less than a week until Parliament’s partial suspension is set to expire, the Conservative leader reaffirmed his party’s position that more in-person sittings must be held.

Scheer said the thrice-a-week meetings of the House, as laws passed to continue Parliament’s work during the COVID-19 pandemic permit, won’t cut it any longer, and that Parliament’s powers that have been suspended – like that of MPs to compel the government to produce documents, need to be returned.

“If members of the Bloc, or the NDP, or the Liberal backbench don’t believe that Parliament is an essential service, they should consider why they ran for office in the first place,” Scheer said as the Canadian Press reported.

The Leader of the Opposition also criticized the Liberal government for what he claimed is its “policy of appeasement” towards China, as CBC News wrote about.

Speaking to reporter on Parliament Hill, Scheer said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau must demand greater accountability from the World Health Organization as it sets to investigate the beginnings of the pandemic.

The former prime minister-hopeful also once again talked about his change of plans over renouncing his American citizenship, when questioned by reporters on Tuesday.

The Canadian Centre for Vaccinology expects to begin the first human clinical trials for a vaccine to COVID-19 within weeks. If the prospective immunizer shows promising signs, Health Canada could be in position to approve it years ahead of when a typical vaccine would be approved, because of the circumstances of the crisis. Charlie Pinkerton expands on those details.

The Ontario government will conduct an “independent commission” into the province’s long term care homes, it announced Tuesday. The commitment comes up short of a fully-fledged public inquiry, which critics of the government’s handling of COVID-19 in nursing homes have called for. Victoria Gibson explains.

The Bank of England is widening the limit on a loan program to help major businesses survive the COVID-19 crisis, but with a catch. Companies that want more than the current limit of the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme of £50m must promise to show restraint on dividend payments and other cash distributions, including executive pay. (BBC News)

U.S. retailer Pier 1, which had around 50 stores in Canada, on Tuesday announced that it will close all 540 of its stores, becoming the latest corporate casualty of COVID-19. The company filed for bankruptcy protection in February and said it had hoped to find a buyer, which its since failed in doing. (CBC News)

And there’s good climate news and bad climate news.

The world has experienced the most significant drop in carbon output since records began, with daily emissions dropping 17 per cent by early April from 2019 levels. At the strictest times during lockdowns, some countries emissions fell by more than a quarter on average. (The Guardian)

China’s air pollution has already rebounded from the astounding lows during the country’s COVID-19-induced shutdown to monthly levels that top those of the same period last year. Finland-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air warns it could be the beginning of a “dirty” economic rebound in China. (CBS News)

Cartoon of the Day

Patrick Corrigan cartoon

FINALLY

A Chinese man who was abducted as a toddler and only recently reunited with his parents after 32 years is unsure about his future, but plans to spend some time with his mum and dad. (BBC News)